If the bikes are the same price than you get more bike with the Kodiak.

Kodiak Rancher
401cc 329cc
water cooled air cooled
disk brakes Drums brakes
selectable 4wd Full time 4wd
low range 5 speed only

I think the two bikes cost about the same.

 

I have had both Honda and Yamaha. Still have a 86 Moto 4 and 99 Grizz. Have not tried teh Rancher but being a Honda I bet it is a nice bike. A couple of things for you on the Yamaha, I find Yamaha a noisier bikes than Honda, I have had no Prob with the belt and I am at 2000 Miles now. I have had friends get belt wet, drain it and you are going in no time.
I think it comes down to your best buy for the buck and if you ride both bikes you will know what you prefer. I think you will like either bike. One more thing. The best feature on the Grizz is the in and out 4x4. Brings back days with the old moto 4 rides and three wheeler. Hit a corner and crank it up and come around the corner with your but half sideways. Also makes it easier steering on the long halls.
Good luck on your choice.

 

Tim1,

The bikes are not the same price the Kodiak retails for $6099 & the Rancher 4x4 ES retails for $5399. You can make a lot of modifications for $700. No arguement from me, before I purchased these two machines were my final choices. Top speed of the Rancher is around 50 MPH, to me this is plenty fast enough. If I wanted to go faster then I would have purchased a 400EX.

 

GET A KODIAK!!!

 

Hey Tim1, Kodiak has discs all
the way around

 

Thanks I made the proper change in my message.

 

The Kodiak and Rancher have the same 50 mph top speed it must be because the Rancher is lighter.

 

Went to both dealers and the Yamaha is only 200 dollars more than the Honda.I could not bore out 72cc to the motor add a rad with a water jacket on the cylinder and put selectable 2wd option for $200.

 

I have kept quiet on this topic because I had not gone trailing with someone who had A Rancher.But after this past weekend I finally went trailing with 3 guys with Ranchers, what I found was that their is simply no comparing these two bikes the'00 Kodiak simply out does the Rancher in just about every situation speed,ride,handeling the only thing I liked better on the Rancher is the digital speedo.I am not bashing the Rancher it is an excellant bike. When compared to the '00 BigBear it won that shootout,but the '00 Kodiak would beat it as well.It's just like comparing the Kodiak to the Sportsman the Kodiak is simply outclassed.I think that this is the same situation the Rancher is simply outclassed by the '00 Kodiak,like I said this is not bashing the Rancher.The 450 Foreman is what the Kodiak is classed with and it beat it in A recent shootout.Is the Foreman A crappy bike by no means no it is also an excellant bike.Just my opinion.

 

atving----i know you probably won't read this because it's a pretty old post.....
the motor on the rubicon is NOT i repeat NOT a bored out 450. the new motor is liquid-cooled. you must re-engineer the block and heads. simply putting on a radiator and a couple hoses won't work.

ok back the the question at hand. i chose the rancher because i don't like the belt drive auto trannies. no matter how well the tranny is protected from water gettin in, water will always find it's way into it at teh worst possible time. if ya want an auto the Rubicon may e a better bet , BUT i'd wait until some QUALITY reviews and torture test come out on it. i'm pretty sceptical of the hondamatic tranny right now...better yet get a rancher for right around five grand and keep the money you saved from not getting the kodiak and put a set of 26" blackwaters mounted on itp rims